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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461627">Something in Common</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarla/pseuds/Skarla'>Skarla</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bath Sex, Cybercrime, Deaf Clint Barton, Hot Chocolate, Insomnia, JARVIS is Awesome, Lonely Tony Stark, M/M, More tags to be added once I figure out where this is going., Nudity, Paintball, Team Bonding, Team Human</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:47:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarla/pseuds/Skarla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony hadn't expected any of the other Avengers to take him up on the offer of a home.  When some of them do, he's not quite sure how to take it.</p><p>Still, his mother had always impressed on him the importance of being a good host, and it's not like the company is unwelcome, just unexpected.  When he realises that he and Clint have neurosis in common, well, it has to be the start of a beautiful friendship.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>364</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A found family fic.  May be incorporated into the Tony's Robot Army 'verse, if the robots start to make an appearance.  Honestly, I have no idea where I'm going with this, so any feedback or ideas you'd like to see incorporated, leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do.  The current plan is for IronHawk, as that's what the plot bunny wanted, but I can be flexible!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The thing was, Tony hadn't actually expected any of them to take him up on it.  Sure he was lonely, literally living at the top of a tower even if he did own the structure himself, and his relationship with Pepper was not going to survive that missed phone call because... Well, he had abandonment issues, all right?  He knew it, and more importantly she knew it, and she still hadn't picked up the phone.  He had never felt quite so alone, JARVIS' voice in his ear a familiar comfort that he had metaphorically grasped onto with both hands, and once he had landed and been screamed back to life it was only the constant low level stream of words provided by the AI that kept him going.</p><p>So, in a ridiculously pathetic and vulnerable state, he had invited the superhero posse to move in, as that is the sort of move they would expect from the rich dick billionaire, fully expecting all of them to assert their own independence and free will and go back to, well, wherever they had been before they stepped foot on the helicarrier. </p><p>Bruce had already confirmed that he would stay for a week, but that if Shield got too close he would be in the wind a lot sooner.  Tony was ok with that, it gave him a set of parameters to work with.  He set up Bruce on the fifteenth floor in a spare lab space close to the blast testing area and its reinforced doors.  Since the weapons testing divisions had been shut down, the area hadn't been used, so it was easy enough to move Bruce into it, as well as giving him one of the apartments used by travelling Stark Industries employees - what's the point of paying employees to stay in a hotel when he had a whole tower with a fancy view?</p><p>He hadn't expected a call from reception as soon as he'd got back to his own lab, saying that Mr Barton had arrived and which floors should he be given access to?</p><p>All the elevators could be manually overridden by JARVIS, so it was a given that Tony would arrive in the lounge area of R&amp;D at the same time as the archer.  Still, he jogged along the corridor, his curiosity overcoming his trepidation.</p><p>"Anything you can give me, J?" he asked as he sped along.</p><p>"Mr Barton exhibited signs of stress on arrival, but has calmed significantly since entering the elevator car," the AI reported.  "He is carrying two duffel bags, one of which resists the scanners we have in the elevator."</p><p>"Thanks buddy."</p><p>What JARVIS hadn't mentioned but what became immediately apparent when Tony came face to face with the man, was that Barton was exhausted.</p><p>"Hi, Mr, um, Doctor Stark," the archer said politely when he saw Tony approach.  "I, uh, I'd like to take you up on that offer of a place."  </p><p>"Oh- of course!" Tony did his best not to gape with surprise.  "Mi casa es su casa!  Um... JARVIS?"</p><p>"I have allocated you to suite six, agent Barton," the AI informed the pair of them.  "A welcome pack of basic groceries will be delivered in two hours, and the suite is stocked with towels and linens."</p><p>Tony hadn't expected the flare of interest in Barton's grey eyes.  "That's your AI?" he asked, cautiously.  "JARVIS, right?  Nat mentioned him in her report."</p><p>"That's JARVIS," Tony agreed, deciding to gloss over the mention of the time Shield sent the redhead to spy on him while he was dying.  "He runs the suits, the tower, the... My life.  He runs my life."</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Mr Jarvis," Barton said, glancing around for the microphone pickups.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Agent Barton.  JARVIS is my preferred form of address."</p><p>Tony picked up the nearest duffel and gestured to the elevator.  "Residential is up three floors," he advised, leading the way into the car.  "Not that you're not welcome, but I wasn't expecting... Well, I assumed that you already had a place to go."</p><p>"Oh, I did," Barton agreed easily.  "But after what Lo- after the helicarrier, I didn't really want to be around the other agents."</p><p>Tony felt his stomach drop at the haunted look that flashed quickly across Barton's face. "They're not blaming you?"</p><p>"Not exactly," the archer said awkwardly.  "Um... So he turned four agents plus me, three of them survived, but we needed more manpower to carry out his orders.  So we used Shield's hit list of problem individuals and had Loki recruit them."</p><p>"Smart move for a man without free will," Tony commented.  "I take it most of them ended up in custody where they belonged?"</p><p>Barton nodded and the elevator doors opened on the residential floor.  Tony wasn't all that familiar with it, but there were discrete silver plaques on the walls showing them which way to go, spaced between the tasteful art chosen by Pepper and a series of glass terrariums, of all things.  One had a lovely orange orchid growing in it.  </p><p>"They're talking about giving me a commendation," Barton blurted out, looking pale.  "I don't want it.  The higher ups seemed to think that I did a stellar job under Loki's control, twisting his orders to Shield's advantage.  I thought I would be used as a scapegoat."</p><p>"You don't agree?" Tony asked carefully as they paused outside of suite six.</p><p>Barton shrugged.  "I just did my job, made the best out of a bad situation like always," he said quietly.  "And my best got seventeen agents injured and three killed.  Not to mention the damage Loki did directly, but I'm level enough to realise that that's on him, not me.  I know I did the best I could - I just don't want to be commended for it."</p><p>"Fair enough.  Hand on the pad, let J scan you," Tony directed.  "I'll, ah, leave you to get settled in.  If you need me for anything, JARVIS knows how to reach me.  He's active in the living area, not the bedroom or bathroom."</p><p>"All right," Barton agreed easily, placing his right hand on the access pad.  After a few seconds it lit up green and the door clicked as the magnetic lock released.</p><p>"Bruce - Doctor Banner - is here for a week," Tony said, strangely reluctant to leave all of a sudden.  "How about we do lunch or something tomorrow?"</p><p>Barton's eyes crinkled at the corners when he was amused, Tony realised.  "See if we have something other than saving the world in common?"</p><p>The mechanic grinned back.  "Something like that.  1pm?"</p><p>"Works for me."</p><p>Tony stuck his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans before the archer could offer to shake on it, but Barton didn't even twitch, instead opening the door to suit six and stepping inside.</p><p>"See you tomorrow," Tony said as he turned back to the elevator.</p><p>Barton's response was so quiet he almost didn't catch it, but he did.  Just before the door whispered closed, he caught a soft.  "Thank you."</p><p>Tony grinned to himself as he headed back to the R&amp;D levels and his lab.  It felt good to be doing good, for once.</p><p>"JARVIS, set up a file for Barton comma Clint dash Archer," he instructed.  "And see if we have the specs for his bow in the files that we pulled from Shield.  I bet we can do better." </p><p>"I will not take that bet, Sir," the AI replied.</p><p> </p><p>The following hours passed in a whirl of data and ideas, with DUM-E actually managing to make a coffee and strawberry smoothie that wasn't as terrible as it could have been, although Tony needed to make a mental note to buy strawberries that already had the leaves stripped out.  They made the whole thing taste faintly of grass, despite the coffee.</p><p>Before he was ready, JARVIS was gently prompting him about a lunch appointment, and had recruited DUM-E to herd him towards the shower unit attached to the lab.  The hot water was unfairly soothing, and by the time he stumbled out and pulled on a clean change of clothes he was yawning.</p><p>"Where is this lunch date, J?" he asked the AI.  "Do I need to go upstairs and change?"</p><p>"You agreed to lunch with Doctor Banner and Agent Barton," JARVIS reminded him.  "I took the liberty of informing Doctor Banner of his invitation yesterday afternoon, and asked about his dietary preferences for the order.  He advised that given the occasion, he would prefer to cook."</p><p>"Bruce is cooking?"</p><p>"Doctor Banner has been in the kitchen for an hour and seventeen minutes," the AI replied.  "Although I am not familiar with cooking, given that you rarely indulge in the activity, I believe that the term could be used to apply to his actions."</p><p>"Snarky snarky," Tony shot back.  "Where did all the snark come from?  Who have you been listening to?"</p><p>"I learnt from the best, Sir," came a deadpan reply that made Tony grin as the elevator car brought him to up to the penthouse.  It was halfway being remodelled into an all purpose floor for the team, and although the TV/Games room and the conference room were still being worked on, the kitchen was finished.</p><p>Bruce was indeed cooking, wearing a red and white striped apron and a small smile.  It was the most relaxed that Tony had ever seen the other scientist.  The room was full of wonderful aromas, and Tony wondered just how long ago that smoothie had been as his stomach growled.</p><p>"Smells delicious," he said approvingly as he dropped onto a stool on the kitchen island, opposite Barton.  The archer was shredding lettuce for salad with quick, efficient chops of a large kitchen knife. "I'd offer to help but I am a disaster in the kitchen, ask anyone.  No one should be subjected to my cooking.  I even get DUM-E to make my smoothies, and as terrible as that can be, it's still better than anything I can come up with myself."</p><p>Barton grinned at him.  "You have a robot that can cook?  That's awesome."</p><p>Just like that, Barton was elevated to Clint in Tony's head.  Anyone who reacted positively to both DUM-E and JARVIS deserved first name status after all.  "You'll have to come by the workshop later and meet him," he replied, before he could start doubting himself.  If possible, Clint looked even more pleased by the invitation, which served to bolster Tony's  belief that he had done the right thing.</p><p>Bruce had made a series of vegetarian curries, one with chickpeas and a lentil dhal, along with a pan of fluffy steamed rice and a plate of crispy golden samosas.  The three of them polished off the lot, although Tony was at risk of nodding off and falling into the dhal by the end of the meal.</p><p>"Stark, when was the last time you slept?" Clint asked as he shared out the last of the rice between their plates.  "You look like you're dead on your feet."</p><p>"Tony," Tony said around a yawn.  "Y'like the bots, you can call me Tony.  Um... Slept a few hours yesterday morning.  Was too busy last night."</p><p>"Have an after lunch nap then," Bruce suggested.  "You're probably at the point where the science will benefit from it."</p><p>"But I have so much to do!" Tony complained.  Bruce levelled an unimpressed look at him and he slumped back against the table.  "...you're probably right," he admitted reluctantly.</p><p>"You can show me the workshop some other time," Clint said cheerfully.  "There's no rush."</p><p>"Have you found the indoor range yet?" Tony asked.  "It's near Bruce's lab, where we used to test some of the firearms, and where the security teams can get their hours in.  There's plans for a private one up here, but the tower is narrower at the top and it's been hard to figure out where it can go, so we might have to scrap the idea."</p><p>"I've got no problems sharing a range," Clint assured him.  "I've never had one to myself before."</p><p>"Ask JARVIS to order anything you need to convert it to archery.  Oh, and I wanted to take a look at those exploding arrows of yours."</p><p>Clint looked surprised.  "You... Why?"</p><p>Tony had to stifle yet another yawn before he was able to grin cockily at the archer the way that he wanted.  "I can do better," he said simply.  "Wanna help with the design process?  I'm a newbie when it comes to arrows, so best to call in help from the resident expert after all."</p><p>According to the file JARVIS had presented in the early hours of the morning, Clint had been freelance for a few years before being picked up by SHIELD.  The engineer suspected that he had made a lot of his own gear, but he didn't want to outright say that and admit to the snooping. Perhaps if they worked on the improvements to Clint's weapon together, the archer would volunteer information on his own?</p><p>"I'd love to," Clint said, and Tony blinked at him in confusion.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>The archer laughed. "Oh man, you really are tired.  I'd love to help design new exploding arrows.  And why stop at exploding?  The world is our oyster.  But right now, you need a nap.  I can do the washing up."</p><p>"Dishwasher," Bruce pointed out mildly.  "Pots are already in it."</p><p>"I can be a champion dishwasher loader then," Clint grinned. "Bed time for geniuses.  Or at least nap time."</p><p>Tony gave into the inevitable and stumbled his way back to the elevator, intending to go back down to the workshop and nap on the lumpy sofa in one corner.  He was surprised when JARVIS opened the doors on the residential floor where Clint and Bruce were staying.</p><p>"J?  What gives?" he demanded, stabbing at the button for the workshop level.</p><p>"Sir, there are seventeen unoccupied beds on this floor.  We would appreciate it if you utilised one for now, as DUM-E is in the progress of deep cleaning the couch."</p><p>Tony shot a suspicious look at the nearest camera but stepped out of the elevator.  "I know what you're doing, you sneaky creations.  What room?"</p><p>"Suite three has been made ready for your use, Sir," the AI said smugly.  The electronic lock disengaged as he approached and the door opened on a room furnished in blue and cream.  The coffee table was an intricate polished tree root with a glass top, and the pictures on the walls framed in a similar shade of honey brown wood.</p><p>"Fancy," Tony commented, moving into the bathroom to splash his face and look around at the grey slate tiles and the rain shower.  "Are they all the same?"</p><p>"Each suite is different," the AI replied and hesitated before adding.  "Ms Potts viewed decorating each as a personal project.  I believe she considered it a hobby."</p><p>"That explains it," Tony replied calmly, determined not to be thrown by the mention of his former personal assistant.  "I thought it felt nicer than the usual generic hotel room vibe designers come up with."</p><p>The bathroom cabinet already had a fresh toothbrush and a new tube of toothpaste.  He ripped the foil cap off with his teeth and spat it in the general direction of the trash can.  He missed.  Clint would not have missed, he realised, having already witnessed the archer's uncanny ability to hit his mark three separate times over lunch.</p><p>Stuffed full of good food and with a mouth of minty freshness, Tony fell onto the bed that someone from housekeeping had already made up for him and closed his eyes.  He was asleep within minutes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hot chocolate and Disney movies</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce left on a Thursday.  Tony had been expecting it, but it still stung a little.  He tried to reassure himself that it wasn't him that Bruce was avoiding, it was the city or perhaps the whole country, but that didn't help much.  At least Bruce agreed to take a Starkphone and a Starkpad with him, and agreed that they could keep in touch.</p><p>"I'll let you know when I'm on my way back for a visit," he said encouragingly, reaching out one tanned hand for Tony to shake.</p><p>Tony squashed the habitual reluctance over handshakes and germs and giant-gaping-hole-in-my-chest-oh-my-fuck ruthlessly, and returned the gesture.  Bruce's grip was dry and firm, steady and dependable. Tony took a deep breath and watched as the other scientist disappeared into the bustle of LaGuardia airport before climbing back into his car.  He knew that Bruce had a vague plan that involved an internal flight to New Mexico, officially to look for trace evidence of Bifrost activity, but actually so that he could slip over the boarder and move down into South America to disappear.</p><p>Tony didn't see Clint for another three days, and was beginning to wonder if he had moved out of the tower without telling him, when the archer suddenly reappeared, at 2am, at the door to his workshop.</p><p>"Legolas!  What can I do for you?" Tony asked once he'd allowed JARVIS to open the door.  He was concerned to see the effects of sleep deprivation on the archer's face, purple shadows under his grey eyes and deep wrinkles marring the skin on his forehead.  He knew that he didn't look much better himself, but that was normal for him.  Clint had looked fine last time he'd seen him, for a group breakfast the morning Bruce left. </p><p>"Sorry, I... JARVIS said you were up."</p><p>"JARVIS is rarely wrong," Tony replied.  "Everything ok?  Or you're welcome to just hang out."</p><p>"What are you working on?" Clint asked, stepping cautiously into the room.  "Oh, is that DUM-E?"</p><p>Tony was unable to stop a smile from spreading over his face as DUM-E rolled over to greet the newcomer, chirping excitedly, and Clint crouched down to greet the enthusiastic bot.</p><p>"Yes, that's DUM-E.  I did promise that you could meet him, didn't I?  Sorry, things got a little... I should have invited you down sooner, my bad."</p><p>"No, no, it's fine," Clint assured him, wincing a little as DUM-E ran his claw affectionately through his blonde hair.</p><p>"He likes to play fetch, there's a softball in the bins over there," Tony said, gesturing at the haphazard row of storage bins he hadn't got around to straightening out after the last time DUM-E had crashed into them.  "Knock yourself out."</p><p>JARVIS started the music up again, albeit at a much lower volume than usual, and Tony was treated to the unexpected sight of Clint, mouthing along to AC/DC while he threw the ball in gentle arcs for DUM-E to catch.</p><p>"Is that an exploding arrowhead?" Clint asked twenty minutes later, the unexpected question right next to his ear making Tony jump badly enough that all the holograms flickered.</p><p>"Fucking- need to get you a bell!" he exclaimed, hand pressed to the reactor case, the hard edge digging into his palm.  "Don't sneak up on the guy with a heart condition!"</p><p>Clint looked instantly contrite.  "I... I'm sorry," he apologised at once.  "I just, I spotted what looked like, and I got a bit, um distracted but you're right, I shouldn't have..."</p><p>"It's fine, I overreacted," Tony assured him, interrupting what promised to be a rambling series of apologies.  "It's an arrowhead filled with knockout gas, non-lethal and as instant as I can make it.  Thought it might be handy in a hostage situation, but I don't know how it'll deal with an enhanced, and we don't have Bruce or the Captain to be willing guinea pigs.  Still, the interns reported very few side effects other than a slight headache, and sent me thank you emails for their danger bonus pay, so that was nice." </p><p>"At Shield they test that sort of thing on the new recruits.  They don't get bonus pay though," Clint said thoughtfully, reaching out a careful finger to spin the hologram.  "Have you calculated the weight?"</p><p>"Even better, I've made a few mock ups without the gas for you to try out.  JARVIS, what's the ETA on production?"</p><p>"Five hours, seventeen minutes and eight seconds, Sir," the AI replied promptly.</p><p>"Enough time for a nap then!" Tony said casually, stretching until his spine cracked.  It didn't take a spy to notice the way that the mention of sleep made Barton tense up.  Tony considered his options for a short moment, before deciding to go with blunt honesty as the best option.  The agent was used to lying and subterfuge after all, honesty might startle him into sharing.  "You look like you haven't slept in a week, Clint.  Anything I can do?"</p><p>Looking haunted, the archer hesitated before shrugging helplessly.  "Not all week, just since Thursday," he admitted.</p><p>"Since Bruce left?  I hadn't realised you were so close," Tony said lightly, adding in an eyebrow wiggle for good measure.</p><p>The quip got him a weak grin.  "We're not," the blond assured him.  "It was just that, well, with the Hulk in the tower, I felt... That if Loki escaped, or if he, if I... um..."</p><p>"That the hulk would have no problem dealing with the puny god a second time?" Tony filled in, deciding to ignore that Clint was apparently worried that he would be taken over against his will a second time, for now at least.  He considered the other man for a long moment.  "JARVIS, are you confident that you will be able to pick up Loki's magical signature if he enters the building?"</p><p>"Yes Sir," the AI replied promptly.  "I have assimilated data from the scans made on the Helicarrier and during the battle by both the Iron Man sensors and the tower sensors.  The tower sensors have been updated accordingly in order to identify future magic use with greater than 90% accuracy."</p><p>"Thanks JARVIS.  Have you finished evaluating Loki's fighting style?  What's the probability that we can defeat him in future battles?"</p><p>"Of course Sir.  Iron Man alone has an 74.6% chance of defeating Loki in battle.  Each additional suit piloted increases the chance of defeat by 3.57%.  If Agent Barton also joins in the battle, with Sir and one Iron Man suit, the chance of defeating Loki is 100%."</p><p>"How many operational suits are in the tower that you can access?" Tony asked next, watching Clint carefully.</p><p>"Fourteen, Sir," the AI replied promptly.</p><p>Tony was unable to stop a pleased smile as the tension dropped out of Clint's shoulders.  "Even without the Hulk, we can take him," he said quietly.  "He no longer has the advantage of being unknown.  Think you're up for that nap now?  Or we can stick a Disney movie on in the games room if you'd prefer some company?  Classic Robin Hood?"</p><p>"You're a walking cliche, Stark," Clint accused with a smile. </p><p>"That's not a no!" the engineer pointed out.  "DUM-E, do you want to come?  There's no one else on the Avengers floor right now, and it's open enough for you."</p><p>Tony waited patiently for the bot to run the code and make his decision, Clint hovering at his elbow.  Eventually, DUM-E gave an affirmative beep and lead the way to the elevator.</p><p>"The apartments we're staying in aren't open plan enough for him," Tony explained as JARVIS took them up.  "So he mostly stays in the workshop.  The Malibu place has a lot of steps in the open plan areas, which means he can go between the garage workshop and some of the main floor in the freight elevator, but  he can't get to half the living room or the bedrooms.  It was safer, when he was younger.  He's a learning AI, but he's my first one, so it takes him a while to learn."</p><p>"I think he's amazing.  So he's like JARVIS' big brother?" </p><p>Tony was unable to stop the pleased smile that stretched his cheeks, and when Clint looked up and saw his face it must have been extra soppy because the archer blushed and dropped his gaze.</p><p>"Exactly," Tony agreed around the sudden lump in his throat.  "JARVIS, do we have hot chocolate ingredients?  This feels like a hot chocolate moment."</p><p>"We do not, sir," the AI said dryly.  "Might I suggest the all night coffee bar on the finance level?  It is fully stocked and currently open as per company policy."</p><p>"Sounds great JARVIS, send us down."</p><p>The two tired superheroes stumbled out of the elevator on level seventeen, followed by an excited robot.  Tony hadn't really encouraged DUM-E to explore the tower, but it was nearly three AM, the Stark Industries floors were manned by a skeleton crew of floor sweepers and harried accountants talking to people in other timezones, and one coffee barista, humming cheerfully as she wiped down a gleaming silver machine, her short blonde hair caught back by a purple scarf.</p><p>When she saw the pair of them, she dropped the rag on the floor with a squelch and blanched.  "Mr Stark!"</p><p>"Hot chocolate, two shots hazelnut, two shots caramel and mini marshmallows, please," Tony said promptly.  "Clint?"</p><p>Clint blinked at him.  "That's... Oddly specific, but sounds good," he said slowly, turning to the blonde.  "Make that two, please."</p><p>"I wasn't expecting to see you down here," she said cautiously as she poured milk into a jug.</p><p>"We're out of marshmallows in the penthouse," Tony explained, leaning on the counter.  "And hot chocolate is a requirement for Disney movies." </p><p>"Absolutely," she agreed.  "I think we have some toffee coated popcorn if you'd like?"  </p><p>Clint raised an eyebrow.  "You have toffee coated popcorn in a coffee bar on the finance floor?" he asked her, turning a judgemental eye on Tony.</p><p>"Hey, don't blame the boss," the barista interjected, mixing chocolate powder through the milk she had heated.  "Accountants are weird.  And one of them is pregnant at any time, it seems.  Right now it's Samantha."</p><p>"Popcorn for the pregnant ladies, got it," Clint said, winking at her. </p><p>"What movie are you going to watch?" she asked as she poured their drinks into large ceramic mugs, turning away to get the jar of mini marshmallows.</p><p>"Robin Hood," Tony replied easily.  "That smells amazing.  I realise it's a cliché, with archer-boy here, but I would never forgive myself if we started with another one."</p><p>"Archer..." her voice tailed off as she looked at Clint with sudden recognition widening her eyes.  Clint looked apprehensive for a moment, before she bit her lip and obviously decided not to comment.  "Here's your hot chocolate," she said instead.  "You should follow up Robin Hood with Brave, it just came out.  It's good."</p><p>"Thanks for the recommendation," Tony said, reaching into his pocket and finding a crumpled five dollar bill for the tip jar.  All hot drinks were complimentary for Stark Industries staff and guests, but he didn't intend to be a stingy boss.  He was pleased to see that the jar already had a thin layer of coins in the bottom and a few folded dollar bills.</p><p>She passed over a sealed bag of popcorn to Clint as he picked up his drink, and they turned back to the elevator.  "Thank you!" Clint called over his shoulder.</p><p>"Any time.  Enjoy the movie!" she called back.</p><p>DUM-E sped out of an empty office as they approached the elevator, a stapler held gently in his grasping claw.</p><p>"I think someone is going to miss that in the morning," Tony said gently.  The robot gave a negative beep.  </p><p>"No?  Did you rescue it from the trash or something?"</p><p>DUM-E curled his claw arm to place the stapler gently on his chassis and chose not to answer.</p><p>"I suppose they can always requisition a new one, you overgrown bag of bolts," Tony sighed.  "All right, you can keep it.  Come on, push the button for the penthouse for me, there's a good boy."</p><p>Tony and Clint collapsed onto the butter soft leather sofa in the games room, and Tony stifled a yawn as JARVIS started the movie towards the end of the opening credit sequence.  He contemplated the pool of molten marshmallow that topped his drink for a long moment before a groan of delight from the other end of the couch distracted him.</p><p>"So good!" Clint exclaimed, licking at his foam moustache.  "Man, I'm going to be down there all the time now I know where it is."</p><p>The hot chocolate was sweet and soothing, the popcorn crunchy and the film as ridiculous and hilarious as Tony remembered.  He'd barely finished the drink before he felt his eyes getting heavy, and a peek over at the other end of the couch revealed a dozing archer, both hands wrapped tight around the empty mug balanced on his chest.</p><p>"J, reduce volume by fourty percent," Tony mumbled around a yawn as he let his eyes tilt closed.</p><p>By the time DUM-E draped a blanket from the storage closet over the pair of them, they were both fast asleep, oblivious to Robin Hood splitting arrows at the archery competition to win a kiss.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Romanoff visited the tower two weeks after Clint and Tony had fallen into a comfortable new routine.  Tony would spend his days attending the Stark Industries meetings that Pepper scheduled for him, visited R&amp;D at least every other day, and worked on both his suits and Clint's new upgrades.  Clint brought him breakfast sandwiches at noon, tested out his prototypes, and spent long hours in the gym.  Tony wasn't going to complain about that though, the archer's arms were a thing of beauty.</p><p>Clint still had purple shadows under his eyes, but they were significantly less pronounced, and when he started looking ridiculously tired Tony would call a movie break and they'd both grab a hot chocolate from the seventeenth floor no matter what time it was, and retreat to the comfortable leather couch to watch a Disney movie.</p><p>His company was easy, and Tony didn't see the need to admit out loud that he slept better on that couch than in his own bed as well.  Their mutual insomnia problem was not something they were interested in discussing.</p><p>Arrowheads filled with knockout gas on the other hand, was a topic that they could both get enthusiastic about, and discussed at length over bacon and egg sandwiches.</p><p>She didn't let either of them know that she was coming, she simply appeared one afternoon at reception and JARVIS told the security team to let her up, alerting Tony and Clint who had been using a spare holographic table to plan out the indoor range.</p><p>"How do you want to play this?" Tony asked as they headed for the elevator.  Ex-assistant or not, Tony didn't want to greet the woman in his workshop.  He kept things that he liked in that workshop, and he wasn't entirely sure how DUM-E would react to her reappearance. </p><p>"What?" Clint asked.  He was wearing his blank 'agent' face and it made Tony want to poke him.</p><p>"She's your... Coworker?  Team mate?  BFF?" Tony tried.  "Are we friendly?  Standoffish?  Want to know where she's been?  Studiously uncaring?  You take the lead on this one Legolas, it's your Fellowship."</p><p>"It's your tower," Clint countered as they rose up to the penthouse.</p><p>"I'll back whatever play you want to make," Tony promised quickly.  Half a second later the doors opened, so Clint didn't have time to reply.</p><p>Tony hung back to Clint's left as the taller man strode towards their visitor.</p><p>"How's the weather in Madripoor?" he called as she turned to watch them approach.</p><p>"Their tea is like dishwater," she replied at once.</p><p>"Paranoid but ultimately sensible," Tony commented, half to himself.</p><p>Clint nodded at him.  "I know JARVIS would likely have picked up if she wasn't who she was supposed to be, but..."</p><p>"You feel better for checking in person, I get it.  So does J, right buddy?"</p><p>"Of course, Sir.  Agent Barton, if there are additional verbal security measures you wish me to apply to agents who arrive at the tower, I would be happy to discuss that with you."</p><p>Romanoff's face was impassive, but Tony had a lifetime of reading people across boardroom tables and he got the impression that she had been caught out.  Of course, when she was playing Natalie Rushman, he had downplayed JARVIS' abilities.  Even Pepper hadn't quite known just how much the AI was capable of - and it turned out that, as loyal as she was, that was a good thing given that their lives were now diverging onto different tracks.</p><p>Clint on the other hand, Clint was a team mate, and one as human as Tony himself.  It hadn't been hard to let the archer in, to share his secrets and his workspace.   Tony was careful not to examine this too closely, lest it turn his whole worldview upside down.</p><p>"I owe you an apology," she said to Tony, making him jump a little.  </p><p>"You do?"</p><p>She nodded.  "For the fake appraisal I wrote and left for you to find.  I... I am not in the habit of questioning orders."</p><p>"It's all right," Tony said, waving a dismissive hand, although inside he was reeling.  The whole appraisal had been fake?!  Some strange sort of reverse psychology to get him to work with the team by implying that he couldn't?  The blunt paragraphs had been haunting him since JARVIS had picked up the file, and the whole thing had been a plant?</p><p>Well, in hindsight it was obvious. </p><p>"It is not all right," the spy said firmly.  "I specifically designed that appraisal to be as damaging as possible, intended to achieve a specific - anyway," she interrupted herself.  "It was a terrible thing to do to a future team mate and I am sorry.   I will explain the situation to Captain Rogers when I see him, his initial reaction to you was coloured because of it.  He may want to apologise as well."</p><p>"Are you seeing him soon?" Clint asked.  "I hadn't realised that he was coming to New York."</p><p>"He is not, I am going to Washington," she explained.  "I just stopped by to apologise, and to let you know where I was." </p><p>If he hadn't been spending a lot of time with the blond in the past few weeks, Tony would have missed the way that his face fell at the news, before his usual carefree grin hid his disappointment.  "Will you be staying for lunch?"</p><p>"I'd love a BLT, if you're offering," she said, her eyes flicking between Clint and Tony.</p><p>"One sandwich with raw bacon coming right up!" Clint said cheerfully.  Tony followed him into the kitchen, listening to his complaints about her dislike of crispy bacon with half an ear as he turned over Clint's reaction in his mind.</p><p>The archer was disappointed that she wasn't staying, but didn't feel strongly enough about it to ask her to stay for longer than a meal.  Or perhaps he was just resigned to Romanoff doing whatever she wanted - or was ordered to - regardless of his opinion? </p><p>Lunch was pleasant enough, Romanoff and Clint tossed casual banter back and forth about agents they knew - some of whom Tony had met - and the best way to construct at BLT sandwich vis-à-vis the tomato and lettuce layers.  Still, she didn't do enough to reclassify her from Romanoff to Natasha in Tony's head, and that alone was a mark against her in the engineer's opinion.  Once the plates were cleared away into the dishwasher and Natasha was hovering a little too casually by the elevator doors, Tony occupied himself making smoothies to give them some privacy without leaving them alone.  A post-lunch smoothie had become something of a tradition and the mangos had arrived that morning.</p><p>He caught a word here and there over the sound of the blender, but nothing that made much sense.  By the time he was pouring the golden blend of fruit, juice and a touch of ice cream into two glasses Clint was leaning against the counter, looking at the smoothie with suspicion. </p><p>"That's not strawberry," he said as he accepted the glass.  "What have you done?"</p><p>"Just broadening your horizons," Tony said airily, sipping at his.  Smooth mango and vanilla filled his mouth, replacing the ever present taste of cocoanut for a blissful moment.</p><p>Clint opened his mouth to respond but seemed to think better of it and took a tentative sip of smoothie instead.  He looked at the glass with new interest.</p><p>"I thought it was pineapple, but this is different," he said, taking a larger mouthful.</p><p>"Mango," Tony explained.  "Not that there's anything wrong with pineapple, but it doesn't make a great smoothie on its own.  Too acidic?  Too something.  Shall we get back to our blueprints?" </p><p>Clint agreed, but he was quiet all afternoon and Tony silently cursed Romanoff for derailing their day.  He had a feeling that neither of them were going to sleep that night, and... Well... If they weren't sleeping, this was New York.  There were other ways to pass the dark hours of the night.</p><p>"I was thinking of going out tonight, want to come?" he asked Clint casually as six PM rolled around and JARVIS reminded them that normal people would start to think about dinner.  "Grab a burger and a beer or seven?" </p><p>Clint paused for a moment too long before replying.  "Seems a bit tame for a Stark night out."</p><p>Tony shrugged.  "I'm sure there's some highbrow party that I've had an invite too, but I'm not really feeling it tonight," he said. </p><p>"Make it pizza instead of a burger and you're on," Clint said, grinning.  It still didn't quite reach his eyes, but he looked the happiest he had all afternoon so Tony decided that that meant that he was on the right track. </p><p>The sunset had started to paint the workbenches rose gold when they left the workshop to shower and change.  Tony choked on his own spit when he came out of his suite, still adjusting the wrist watch he had chosen, to find Clint buttoning a slate grey waistcoat over a purple shirt in the hallway.</p><p>"You, uh, look nice," he managed once he caught his breath.</p><p>To his surprise, Clint flushed a little, rubbing a hand awkwardly over the back of his neck, which also served to define his biceps perfectly.  It had been a long time since Tony had been with a man - ah, the carefree years of the late nineties - but Tony was embarrassed to think how long it had taken him to realise that Clint ticked all of his boxes.</p><p>"You always look so, um, and I didn't want to, y'know, so I thought that... You think it's ok?"</p><p>"I think you look good enough to eat," Tony's mouth said without any input from his brain.  "Although that might be because I'm starving," he backtracked quickly.  "Pizza?  I think we have reservations."</p><p>"Reservations are good."</p><p>"Great!" Tony clapped his hands together and spun on one heel to face the elevator.  "JARVIS, where do we have reservations?"</p><p>"Mr Hogan is standing by with the Rolls, Sir," the AI said as he opened the doors for them.</p><p>"I can hear that sarcasm, buddy, and I don't appreciate it," Tony said, wagging his finger at the closest sensor pick up playfully.  The action made Clint laugh, and they were still grinning as the doors opened on Parking level 3.</p><p>"Enjoy your date Sir, Agent Barton," came the AI's parting shot just as the door closed.  Tony laughed again, but Clint was oddly silent as they climbed into the Rolls and Happy smoothly manoeuvred them out of the parking garage.</p><p>"Is this a date?" the blond asked quietly a few blocks later, once Tony had finished exchanging the usual small talk with Happy.</p><p>Tony sat back in the seat and watched him carefully, but Clint had his blank 'agent' face on again.  Still, he thought he saw something... "It can be, if you'd like that," he said neutrally.  "I know my reputation precedes me, but I'd never-"</p><p>"No, no!" Clint interrupted him.  "I know that.  I mean... I guess, I wouldn't mind."</p><p>Tony frowned.  That wasn't nearly clear enough for him.  "Wouldn't mind?"</p><p>"If this was a date," Clint clarified.</p><p>Tony smiled at him, a world of colourful possibilities opening up before him.  "Then it's a date," he said simply.  "This one's on me.  If... If it goes well, you can plan the next one."</p><p>Clint smiled back.  "All right," he agreed, reaching out with one calloused hand and tracing a finger across the burn scars on Tony's knuckles.  "Sounds like a plan."</p><p> </p><p>Given that he hadn't planned it as a date to start with, Tony felt justified in feeling proud that the date was nethertheless a success.  They laughed together over delicious pizza, and then they went to a bar that wasn't so expensive that Clint felt uncomfortable, where he drank expensive whiskey and Clint drank local artisan beer while he kicked Tony's arse thoroughly at darts.</p><p>Usually Tony put a lot of thought and effort into planning dates with people he actually liked, and more than half the time that somehow blew up in his face.  With Clint things were just... Easy.  He didn't have to hide anything, Clint already knew the worst, appreciated his occasionally morbid sense of humour and had Tony beat in in the gruesome and inappropriate stories department.</p><p>Was this what long term couples had, once their relationships had weathered the airing of the dirty laundry?  For the first time in his life, Tony could truly see the appeal. </p><p>At the end of the night a yawning Happy picked them up and Tony was careful to keep his hands to himself.  His reputation might have been a baseless mess of paparazzi lies and stories from one night stands looking to make a quick buck, but that didn't mean that he wasn't aware of it.  He sat back on his side of the Rolls, sipping from one of the bottles of water Happy kept there for him, and smiled as Clint finished off a story that involved Agents Coulson and Sitwell, someone called the Cavalry and a broken coffee machine. </p><p>Seemed that Shield, like all bureaucratic agencies, ran on coffee.  Good to know that some things were truly universal. </p><p>The story was just winding down to its hilarious conclusion as the elevator doors opened onto the residential floor of the tower, and Tony took a second from chuckling to marvel at Clint's timing.  Was that something they taught in spy school?</p><p>He considered asking, but Clint was stepping a little further into his personal space and the question got caught somewhere between his brain and Clint's slate grey eyes.</p><p>"I had a great time," the archer said, eyes flicking away shyly as his hand came up to press against Tony's shoulder.  "I'll plan the next one, yeah?"</p><p>"Looking forward to it already," Tony said, almost wincing at how cheesy he must sound.  He couldn't bring himself to regret it though, not when his words seemed to inspire a flash of confidence in the archer as Clint lent down to press a warm, dry kiss to his cheek.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope everyone is keeping safe during lockdown!   Sending virtual hugs and internet cookies to you all.  (This flour shortage is a real pain, isn't it?)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning for nudity and sexual thoughts (and a few actions) in this chapter! </p><p>I hope everyone is staying safe out there in the real world.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their second date, arranged by Clint, exceeded all of Tony's expectations.  If he had needed any further proof that he and Clint were a perfect fit, this date was it.   They took the mustang to Shield academy, and after a bracing 40 minute drive Tony was handed a paintball gun and they were let loose on three different classes of trainees, who were learning how to run an obstacle course under live fire.</p><p>Tony had had a three hour meeting with the board that morning, and having the opportunity to shoot young adults with hot pink paintballs was so perfect that he hadn't been able to hold back from kissing Clint on the lips, even though they had not had a proper conversation about PDA and where they each stood on it.</p><p>Luckily Clint didn't seem to mind, he just grinned a softer version of his usual vicious smirk and led the way to the outdoor course.  Tony was beginning to suspect that that particular expression was reserved just for him, but he was trying to hold back from seeing things that weren't there this time.  He had made some terrible misjudgements in his relationship with Pepper, and she had deserved better.  It was too late now, but he was determined to do better with Clint.</p><p>Dressed in black tac pants with a sleeveless kevlar vest over the top, he looked good enough to eat, and Tony was very much hoping that some sort of physical affection would be part of their new relationship at some point.  Perhaps after the third date?  He was ruminating over the relative merits of installing a jacuzzi tub for the express purposes of making out with Clint versus just hitting the couch like a couple of teenagers when he realised that Clint was leading their sweaty and slightly paint splattered selves into a nicely appointed shower block - one that was clearly reserved for instructors rather than students and reminded him of the facilities in a high end gym.  There were even plants, for crying out loud, and the floor was made up of textured hexagonal tiles that looked like slate.  Perhaps they were slate.  And was that underfloor heating he could feel through his trainers?</p><p>"I packed a change of clothes for after," the archer said with a grin, tossing him a black duffel bag he had retrieved from the boot of the mustang.  "And I brought you one of your own towels, I know what you're like."</p><p>Tony wasted long seconds gaping in astonishment as Clint grinned cheerfully and pulled a lever to turn on the water before he started to unzip his vest.  His face fell after a moment and he took a step closer.</p><p>"It'll just be you and me in here," the archer promised.  "The doors are locked, the instructors are all elsewhere.  You don't need to worry."  He gave the fabric masking the arc reactor a meaningful glance.  "I figured that this was better than getting the upholstery all sweaty."</p><p>"It's seen worse," Tony answered automatically, his brain starting to come back online.  Warm steam caressed his face as the showers reached their maximum temperature and he started to undress, suddenly awkward handling his own clothes.  He stood in his underwear and piled his borrowed body armour on a handy bench, careful not to look at Clint, although he kept on catching glimpses of a vast expanse of smooth golden skin accented with twisted scars out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>"You can look, you know," Clint said softly just as the sound of the falling water changed.  "I have been."</p><p>Cursing himself for being ridiculous - Clint had set this up after all, he had invited this, and Tony was acting like- like- the sight of Clint standing under the fall of gently steaming water derailed his brain for a moment.   He lifted strong arms to rub the water through his rapidly darkening hair, which served to highlight every muscle from his biceps to his quads, all of them shining and delicious under the multiple warm hued spotlights the architect had deemed necessary.  The architect deserved a fruit basket at the least, Tony decided.</p><p>His body had moved forward without any input at all from his brain, but he froze just as the spray started to mist towards him.  Clint blinked water out of his eyes and grinned as he reached back. </p><p>"Come on you," he said as he pulled Tony into the falling water with one hand and pushed a bottle of shower gel at him with the other.  "The paint is oil based, it takes a bit of scrubbing to get off."</p><p>"Do you need me to do your back?" Tony asked, reaching for the suaveness that usually came so naturally.</p><p>Clint winked at him.  "I was counting on it."</p><p>He then laughed at Tony's spluttering realisation that he had been pulled into the shower still wearing his boxers, which were rapidly falling down as the elastic failed to hold up against the weight of sopping wet cotton.</p><p>Peeling soggy underwear from one's arse was never going to be the most erotic of activities so Tony opted to get it over with as quickly as possible, kicking the discarded garment in the vague direction of the floor drain and busing himself with the soap.  It was orange and bergamot scented, which was delicious, and had Clint conspired with JARVIS to set up this date?</p><p>"Not a stalker, just have a good nose," Clint said straight away when Tony looked from him to the bottle in mostly mock suspicion.  "Not a mind reader either!" he added when Tony raised an eyebrow.  He spun on the spot and shot Tony a pleading look over his shoulder.  "Wash my back?"</p><p>Tony's eyes followed a trail of shampoo suds as they slid down Clint's spine quite of their own volition, and well, seeing as he was looking anyway, he took the time to properly appreciate the view as he soaped up his hands.  </p><p>Clint's shoulders felt even better than they looked, warm and smooth and alive under Tony's palms.  He let out a little half groan when the engineer dug his thumbs in and even leaned into the contact a little.  This was rapidly shaping up to be the best shower of his life, but the knowledge that they were standing in a Shield facility was enough to hold Tony's libido in check.  He wasn't a teenager any more after all, and a quick assessing glance down when Clint turned to rinse was enough to confirm that the archer was in a similar state, the enthrallingly pink head of his cock barely peeping out from under his foreskin.</p><p>Tony ducked under the spray to properly wet and shampoo his hair, which also meant that he got to close his eyes and shut out the vision that was a wet Clint before his half-hard cock swelled into a full erection.  He'd always been a visual guy, and with Clint, well.  There was a lot to look at. </p><p>Clint seemed to have picked up on the mood shift, and by the time Tony had rinsed and wiped the water from his face he was a few steps away, rubbing one towel through his short hair with another wrapped around his waist.  The engineer shut off the water and returned Clint's tentative smile with the brightest grin he could manage.</p><p>"Much better!" he announced, striding over to where Clint had left the towel, heedless of the wet footprints he was leaving.  The floor was heated, they'd evaporate quickly enough.</p><p>They dried off and dressed in comfortable silence punctuated by warm glances as Clint hopped a little, wriggling into a pair of tight blue jeans and Tony covered the hard metal of the arc reactor with soft cotton emblazoned with a faded Led Zeppelin graphic.</p><p>"What's next?" Tony asked as he shoved their discarded clothing back into the duffel, wrapping his soaked boxers in the damp towel.  "Food?" he added hopefully.</p><p>"Food," Clint confirmed.  "There's a nice place - or did you want a surprise?"</p><p>"I'm not huge on surprises usually, but today has turned out pretty well so far," Tony allowed.  "I trust you."</p><p>Clint's grey eyes lit up and that, more than anything else, reassured Tony that whatever was happening here, it truly was a good thing.</p><p>Now all he had to do was somehow manage not to screw it up.</p><p>***</p><p>He consulted the internet, blessed anonymity, and the popular opinion was that remodelling an entire room for a new partner was excessive, creepy, and over the top.  Sparklefae17 warned him that it set unrealistic expectations for the relationship and that it was better to start small even if he was wealthy.  Nullvoid09 pointed out that, given that he had money, gestures that cost him time or effort would be of greater value than throwing his dollars around.</p><p>He thought back to that disaster of an omelette and had JARVIS search for cooking courses.</p><p>The sneaky AI put one for couples at the top of the list, and... Huh.  Maybe that wouldn't be a terrible idea for a third date.  There'd be alcohol and food at the end of it at least. </p><p>Clint came bursting into the lab fifteen minutes after he sent the invite to the archer, complete with a list of three dates to pick from, waving his tablet emphatically.  "You.... You!" the archer spluttered as he skidded to a halt, his worn purple converse squeaking on the floor.</p><p>"Did I get it wrong?" Tony asked in a panic.</p><p>Clint dropped the tablet on the nearest workbench and dragged Tony close for a kiss, the engineer frantically trying not to burn either of them with the soldering iron he was still holding.</p><p>"Nope," Clint said between kisses.  "I always-" kiss "-wanted-" kiss "-to try one of those!"  He finished off with a small kiss to the top of Tony's nose before stepping back.  Tony took the opportunity to put the hot tool back on it's stand, so that he had two hands free to drag the archer back again and slide his fingers into his hair.</p><p>"That's a relief," he admitted, pulling Clint down for the sole purpose of burying his nose into his neck, heedless of the stubble that scratched at his cheeks.  He mouthed at the soft skin there and inhaled.  Clint always smelt like coffee and the beeswax he used for his bowstring with undertones of something fresh and wild that was purely him.  Tony wanted to bite him, and when he mouthed experimentally along the line of the archer's throat, Clint tilted his head to the side, giving him access.</p><p>"F-fuck yeah," Clint gasped, his calloused hands gripping at Tony's hips, pulling him closer as the engineer kissed his way up to his ear.  He had to go on tiptoe to reach, but Clint didn't need to know that.</p><p>A second later his worn trainers had left the floor as Clint hoisted him up with barely a grunt of effort, the muscles in his admittedly impressive biceps flexing.</p><p>"What!?" Tony gaped, momentarily distracted as he found himself in the air.  Clint's grip under his thighs was firm and the man felt planted like a tree, but Tony wasn't that small, dammit, and this was not a usual position for him at all.</p><p>Clint grinned up at him, a hint of uncertainty in his grey eyes.  "Is this ok?" he asked, as if it was perfectly normal for one man to have a conversation while carry another full grown man.</p><p>"It's... Unexpected but kinda hot," Tony said honestly, his eyes taking in the corded muscles.  "We might want some more leverage, though."</p><p>Clint frowned at him.  "I'm not fucking you against a wall our first time," he objected.</p><p>"We can circle back to that another time," Tony agreed, moving one of hands from his initial instinctive grip on Clint's shoulders to cup the back of his head, scratching lightly to see those grey eyes flutter.  "I have no objections to making out against a wall however."</p><p>"How about the wall in the elevator," Clint suggested, bending his head a little to press his lips to the exposed skin at the edge of Tony's tank top.</p><p>Tony felt his dick twitch in his pants as Clint's chin brushed against his left nipple and he was quick to agree.</p><p>JARVIS, bless his silicone heart, took the elevator up to the residential floor without a single button being pressed - they were far too busy making out like horny teenagers, Tony's legs firmly wrapped around Clint's waist as the archer pressed him into the side of the elevator car.</p><p>***</p><p>The third date followed by a fourth, and a fifth, and Tony dared believe that one thing in his life was finally working out the way that he wanted, but then their sixth date was interrupted by the super villain of the hour, and once they’d met up with the Shield Strike Team along with Cap and Romanov to take out the mad scientist who had seen Jurassic Park and taken completely the wrong message away, a whole new problem was looming on the horizon.</p><p>They were taking a quinjet back to the Helicarrier for debrief a la Fury when JARVIS pinged Tony and Clint on their private frequency.</p><p>“Sir, the Tower is under attack,” the AI reported.  “A very unsophisticated form of malware, but it did better than the one the pentagon tried six months ago.”</p><p>“Do we think they’re trying again?”</p><p>JARVIS hesitated a moment.  “No, sir,” he said eventually.  “The signal routes through more than seventeen proxy servers, the pentagon tend to only use twelve.  An unusually high number are based in Cuba and the Middle East.”</p><p>Clint twisted around in the pilot’s seat to make eye contact with Tony.  “Cuba?  Did I hear that right?”</p><p>Tony shrugged helplessly and Romanov glared at the both of them.  “Care to share with the class?”</p><p>“Little cyber-attack on the Tower, Jarvis has it handled.”</p><p>“Sir,” the AI interrupted,  “the attackers have attempted to utilise a back door left by Stane into the Stark Industries system.  It failed mainly because we have upgraded the security network since his demise.”</p><p>“Motherfucking son of a pig farmer,” Tony groaned, dropping his head into his hands for a moment.  He looked up into Clint’s concerned grey eyes.  “It’s the Ten Rings.  I thought I burned those assholes.”</p><p>“So did Shield,” Natasha said grimly.  <br/>
 <br/>
Steve looked around in confusion.  “I think I missed a briefing,” he said after a moment.  “Nat, fill me in?”</p><p>“I have traced the cyber-attack to Florida with a 96% probability,” JARVIS reported.</p><p>“Maybe we can swing by Disneyland,” Clint said hopefully as he banked the jet around to land on the helicarrier.  </p><p>Steve spent the second half of the debrief giving Tony looks that started out as meaningful and progressed to disapproving as time went on.  Eventually Tony caved and told Shield about the probability that the latest cyber-attack on Stark tower was instigated by the Ten Rings, and he was able to watch and take vindictive enjoyment in Steve's baffled anger as the Avengers were promptly shut out.</p><p>"This is why I didn't want to tell him," Tony said as they were hustled back to their quinjet.  "I knew that they wouldn't share information with us."</p><p>"That doesn't mean that we shouldn't have shared it with them," Steve retorted weakly, but he looked guilty enough that Tony decided to drop the subject.</p><p>"Where to, Cap, Nat?" Clint chimed in.  "Need us to drop you back in DC?"</p><p>"Naw, Steve is missing New York bagels," Natasha said, looking up from cleaning her guns.  "We were thinking we could come hang out at the tower for a few days?  Maybe do something casual as a team?"</p><p>"JARVIS, order in mexican food for dinner please, I want tacos," Tony said.</p><p>"Get extra guac," Clint added.  "Natasha is a fiend when it comes to guac."</p><p>Tony turned to the redhead with a grin. "Well, aren't you full of surprises," he teased.</p><p>"I know three ways to kill you with a tortilla chip," she retorted as she swiftly rebuilt her guns and slid them into their holsters, swinging the lap tray she'd been using back up against the wall and stretching her legs out.</p><p>"Liar," Clint said without turning round.  "You know at least four."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The story takes an abrupt left turn that I wasn't expecting honestly... the plan has been thrown out the window.  Happy November everyone.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the wait for this chapter!  I'm doing a sort of three way Nanowrimo, with this story, an original story and an account of a D&amp;D game we played the other week, so fingers crossed Nanowrimo will give me the push needed to get this fic finished within the month.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 5</p><p>"I'm just saying that it wouldn't do us any harm to spend some time on the West Coast, and Malibu is lovely at this time of year," Tony said when Clint arrived in the workshop with a plate of chicken salad sandwiches, continuing a discussion they had started the day before.</p><p>"JARVIS' servers are there.  He's probably safer if you don't draw attention to that," Clint pointed out.  "Besides, I like New York."</p><p>"New York is stinky," Tony muttered, mostly to watch Clint roll his eyes in exasperated affection.  He accepted a sandwich and stuffed half of it into his mouth, groaning his appreciation at the taste to let Clint know that his culinary skills were appreciated.</p><p>"You love New York," the archer reminded him, picking a sandwich for himself.  "I suppose taking a holiday isn't a dreadful idea, but I'd rather get a proper handle on where the Ten Rings are based."</p><p>"I thought your buddies at SHIELD were handling that?" Tony said, looking up from his sandwich.  Clint hadn't been especially forthcoming about the situation with the Ten Rings and SHIELD so far, and if the blond was finally ready to talk that deserved more of Tony's attention than the possibility of getting tomato all over his jeans.</p><p>"They've cut Nat and I out of the loop," Clint said morosely.  He sat on the nearest workbench and shrugged.  "Seems a bit weird."</p><p>"They're a spy agency, protecting information is a thing," Tony reminded him.  "What's bugging you about this situation in particular?" </p><p>"There's no real conflict of interest - Ten Rings are a terrorist organisation, and you're a Shield consultant.  Nat and I should at least be able to access basic mission info, instead it's like there's nothing going on at all." </p><p>"That does sound suspicious," Tony agreed, grinning at Clint's surprised look.  "What, you thought I'd accuse you of being paranoid?  Me?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up buttercup," Clint grumbled, taking a big bite of his sandwich.  "Did JARVIS get any further chasing the hack?  I know you wouldn't have dropped it just because Captain Pirate said so."</p><p>"So glad some of my nicknames for Furiosa are catching on," Tony grinned.  "J, bring up the progress so far."</p><p>JARVIS projected a map of America onto the far wall.  "The Hacks seem to end in a series of random places.  I have yet to discern a connection," the AI reported.  Clint wrinkled his nose and took two steps towards the map, and then backed up almost to the far wall.</p><p>"Ok, JARVIS.  I'm going to ask a couple of questions," he said with a side glance at Tony, who nodded to encourage him.  "Was there enough time between each attack for a single group to travel between the locations and set up a new base of operations?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Are there any documented tour routes that connect those locations in that order on the dates in question?"</p><p>Tony slapped his forehead.  "Why didn't I think of that?" he complained.  "You, my dear, are a genius."</p><p>Clint laughed at him, loudly enough that DUM-E woke from his charging station and rolled forward to see what all the fuss was about.</p><p>The new search parameters narrowed down the list of potential suspects to seven.  Four small time bands that looked like they were touring together as a group, taking over two venues in each City they visited, a mobile news crew for the daily planet, a group of biologists visiting a number of universities around the country to give presentations and guest lectures, and Taylor Swift.</p><p>"Personally I like the reporters," Tony said as they reviewed the file packs JARVIS had provided on their way to get hot chocolate from the finance level.   "They'll have a van full of IT equipment, high speed satellite links and plenty of free time."</p><p>"My favourite is Taylor Swift," Clint countered.  "She travels with a huge contingent of personnel, it would be easy for a hacker to get a job as a sound tech or gopher."</p><p>The doors opened on the finance level and it was early enough in the evening that people were still wondering around, the air filled with murmured conversations and clicking keyboards.  The coffee counter was free though, and their usual barista brightened as they walked up.</p><p>"The usual?" Charlie called out once they were close enough.</p><p>"Yes please!" Clint called back.  He nearly tripped over his own shoes when she spun on one heel to grab two cups, revealing the purple streaks that now decorated her blonde bob.</p><p>"You've got a hawkeye fan," Tony sing-songed under his breath.  Clint elbowed him in the ribs as the tips of his ears turned red.</p><p>"Shut up." </p><p>They debated whether to tell Fury about the seven suspects as they waited for milk to steam and chocolatey goodness to be created.</p><p>"It seems to me," Charlie said as she added extra marshmallows to both cups, "that you're looking at this from the wrong angle."</p><p>"What?" Tony asked.</p><p>"You're talking about the consequences of telling someone something, right?" she said as she slid the drinks towards them.  "You should be asking yourselves what the consequences of not telling are.  Are they potentially worse than the consequences of telling?"</p><p>Tony considered that for a moment, and beside him Clint shuddered lightly.  "All right," he said, taking a mouthful of melted mallow.  "We tell him."</p><p>Tony suspected that Clint would have thrown his arms up in victory if he hadn't been cradling his drink.  "Thank you," he beamed at both of them.  "C'mon, let's get back upstairs and make a phone call."</p><p>"We have to tell him now?" Tony complained as he trailed after the archer, but not before shooting an impressed look over his shoulder at Charlie.  She waved back at him, before turning to smile at an extremely pregnant accountant waddling in her direction.</p><p><br/>
Fury was, predictably, grumpy about being called, but after listening to Tony's brilliantly succinct explanation, he passed them through to a jumpy data analyst who was suitably cowed by their presence and agreed easily that Taylor Swift's entourage and the reporters were the best options.  He also let slip that some low level agents had already infiltrated the superstar's security team, which was more information on Shield's movements than they had known that morning. </p><p>"I don't know about you," Tony said with his most suggestive eyebrow wiggle after the call had ended.  "But I'd consider that a good days work.  What do you say to us slipping upstairs and into something a bit more comfortable?"</p><p>Clint grinned.  "Halo in our Boxers?" he suggested, turning towards the elevator.</p><p>"Winner gets a blowjob!" Tony called as he raced to get to the doors first.  A moment later Clint strolled into the car after him, hands in his pockets as he gave Tony's shorter frame a slow once over.  The engineer couldn't help but shiver a little as Clint's grey eyes lingered on his mouth, and a pink tongue flickered out to wet his lip. </p><p>"Oh, you're going down," the archer murmured, crowding into Tony's space as the doors closed behind him.</p><p>Tony stood his ground, reaching out to lay a calloused palm on Clint's bare bicep.  "Oh, I look forward to it," he growled back, lifting up onto his toes to press a fleeting kiss across Clint's lips, the scent of chocolate strong in his nose. </p><p>Clint, relaxed into a boneless sprawl as he lounged on the sofa like a sleepy cat, all smiles and golden skin, was quickly becoming one of Tony's favourite sights.</p><p>Unfortunately, it was a sight that he would have to wait to see, as the entertainment centre was already occupied when they arrived, by a frowning Steve Rogers watching a documentary on segregation and integration.</p><p>"It really took us this long?" he demanded as soon as they arrived, without even looking away from the screen.  "I thought that after the war - I mean, the sixties?!"</p><p>"Sadly, it did," Tony confirmed.  "Although I don't see what the War has to do with segregation?"</p><p>"Britain wasn't segregated," Steve said, looking back at them and frowning at the mugs they both held.</p><p>"Go down to the finance level if you want some, I'm not sharing," Tony told him, dropping into his customary seat.  After a moment, Clint dropped down next to him, a solid line of warmth against his side.   "So, black soldiers arrived in England and faced no discrimination?"</p><p>"No, they did," Steve said, looking down at his hands.  "Mostly from their fellow American troops.  And more than once, if that was witnessed by a British civilian, the civilian would comment.  Two fellows in Bucky's unit nearly got thrown off of a bus, he wrote to me about that."</p><p>"What happened?" Clint asked, and JARVIS paused the documentary.</p><p>Steve looked wistful and amused at the same time, which was an achievement in conflicting expressions that Tony had never expected to see.  "Two white fellas had boarded a bus in London," he started.  "Mind, Buck heard this down the pub later, so I don't know how accurate it is.  He thought it was great.  So, there's two black soldiers on the bus already, which was a pretty full bus, so these two guys demand that the black soldiers give up their seats."</p><p>"And did they?" Tony asked as Steve paused for a moment.</p><p>"The conductor stepped in, and said something like 'we don't do that here', and then told them they could stand or get off the bus.  They stood, and they were real mad about it, but Buck said that a lot of others were reflecting on how things were at home and not liking the picture.  We figured that things would start to change, now that people had something to compare themselves to.  But it took another twenty years?!"</p><p>“We should watch <em>Hairspray</em>,” Tony said without thinking too hard about it, mentally abandoning his plans to debauch Clint on the couch.  “I think you’ll really connect with some of the characters.”</p><p>He dared a glance at his boyfriend, only to find the archer looking at him with amusement.  “Yes, we should,” the blond echoed.</p><p>“Best wingman ever,” Tony mouthed at him, conscious of Steve’s superhuman hearing.  He had faith in Clint’s lipreading abilities, and from the way the other man was smiling, that faith wasn’t misplaced.</p><p>Steve seemed skeptical, but didn’t protest when JARVIS switched from the documentary he had been watching to a DVD-style loading menu for Hairspray.</p><p>“Think the bots can handle making us popcorn?” Clint asked as he vaulted the back the sofa to settle down on the opposite end to Steve, leaving Tony to walk around at a more sedate pace and take the middle seat.</p><p>“DUM-E is a master chef these days, I’m sure he can handle it,” Tony said confidently.  “J, tell him to make a bowl of salted and a bowl of sweet and then get his chassis up here for the movie, ok?”</p><p>“I shall supervise closely, Sir,” JARVIS said, starting the movie before Tony had a chance to respond.</p><p>“Such sass,” he muttered regardless, sure that the AI was still listening. </p><p>Steve snorted.  “Takes one to know one,” the super soldier teased as the backing for <em>Good Morning Baltimore</em> filled the room.<br/>
 <br/>
*<br/>
 <br/>
Tuesday, Tony reflected as calmly as he was able, was absolutely the worst day of the week.  Why did terrible things always happen on Tuesdays?  Did Fate just have a thing for alliteration?</p><p>First, he hadn’t been able to sleep.  Then, Doctor Doom had decided that Tuesday was the best possible day to attack Downtown with his latest version of mechanical crapness, and lastly – because all bad things came in threes, that’s what his mother had always said – said crappy mechanical abortions had been equipped with sonic cannons, and Clint had been blasted from what should have been a safe perch right before he took three of them out with an exploding arrow.</p><p>He was unconscious in the Helicarrier’s medical wing, and from the looks on the doctors faces, it wasn’t good. </p><p>Steve and Natasha were hovering in the waiting area with him, and Tony had to exercise a great deal of restraint and willpower not to fly over to the doctor each time he appeared and demand answers.  That was Natasha’s job, as Clint’s official partner and listed medical proxy, and Tony was firmly stamping on the kernel of jealousy lodged in his chest right below the arc reactor.</p><p>Natasha was doing a fantastic job, suitably intimidating with a dash of I-will-rip-your-entrails-through-your-throat-if-you-don’t-do-everything-in-your-power.  Tony and Clint’s relationship was extremely new, of course he wouldn’t be listed as a medical proxy.  Clint and Natasha had known each other for years.</p><p>Tony forced himself to behave like the calm adult Pepper had always believed that he was capable of being, and waited as patiently as he could for her to return from speaking with the medical team.  That meant chewing on his lip and tapping his fingers incessantly on the arm of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that lined the walls, but Steve was pacing back and forth and had been for the last half hour, so Tony figured he was in good company.</p><p>Finally the doctor left through the double swinging doors that they weren’t allowed to walk through, and Natasha was walking back towards them, looking pale.</p><p>“Initial scans aren’t looking good,” she said bluntly.  “Doctor Doom screwed up the sonic in a way that made it more damaging.  I think he was going for a knockout, from his monologue, but the waves intersected poorly, and Clint got caught in an intersection.  A weapon that was probably supposed to knock him out has caused major damage to his eardrums.”</p><p>“Can they fix it?” Steve asked hopefully, but Tony’s stomach was already sinking like a stone.</p><p>“He might regain some hearing in his left ear, depending on how the healing goes,” the redhead said slowly.  “But the right… the right is shredded.”  She swallowed.  “That’s the word the doctor used.  Shredded.”</p><p>Tony felt his mouth dry out as his mind worked through the implications.  It didn’t take long for him to come to a decision, and he pulled out his phone.</p><p>“JARVIS,” he said into the microphone, and both Steve and Natasha turned to look at him incredulously.</p><p>“Yes, Sir?” his AI replied.</p><p>“I need you to collate information on, on hearing impairment and hearing aids,” he said, watching as realisation dawned on Natasha’s face.  The assassin gave him an approving nod.  “And see if this hospital has an expert I can speak with.  I’m going to make Clint the best damn hearing aids in the world, but there’s no reason others can’t benefit from my awesomeness.”</p><p>“There is a Doctor Svangur in the building, Sir,” JARVIS said at once.  “I have added an appointment request to his calendar for thirty minutes in fifteen minutes time.  Where shall I store collated files?”</p><p>“Add a new project, call it…”</p><p>“Beethoven,” Steve supplied when Tony faltered.  “He managed to be at the top of his field despite the hearing loss.  It’s appropriate.”</p><p>“It is,” Tony agreed.  “Project Beethoven.  Give Black Widow full access to the files on her tablet, and Clint too.”</p><p>“Thank you, Tony,” Natasha said once he had hung up the phone.  “I wasn’t… thank you.”</p><p>“Of course,” Tony replied at once.  “If you were less terrifying and likely to stab me, I might even hug you.  Tech… tech is what I can do.  I can’t heal him, but I can make his life easier.  I’m still booking us all in for sign language lessons!  There will be no escape, they are mandatory.”</p><p>“I already know sign language,” Steve said, signing as he spoke.  “I used to be deaf in one ear, remember?” </p><p>Tony stared at him in astonishment.  “Hidden depths, Capsicle,” he said.  “Ok, probably just me then, I take it you already know sign, oh master assassin?”</p><p>Natasha shrugged.  “Only the hand code used in Shield on missions, and I think Clint is the same.  Book us both in.  Even if you make hearing aids tomorrow, he can’t wear them until he’s healed, right?”</p><p>“Right,” Tony confirmed.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment with an audiologist.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You might think that there would be anxt now, but that's not where the muse took me this week...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am not Deaf.  I feel like inclusivity and diversity in fics and fandoms is important - and I've read Fraction's Hawkeye series where Clint looses his hearing (some awesome content there - one is entirely told by Lucky the Pizza dog, and there's one where Clint is just out of hospital, so all you get a lipreading approximations, pictures of sign language and fingerspelling).  Sorry, this is meant to be a disclaimer not a comic plug.  </p><p>I am not Deaf.  I am also British, so what little sign I do know is BSL, not ASL.  (I encourage everyone to at least go out and learn the alphabet, it might not be easy to hold a spelled out conversation, but you can then at least manage basic communication if you come across a Deaf person who needs help).  My knowledge of ASL is pretty much confined to that show Switched at Birth, we caught a few seasons on Netflix, and stuff like Fraction's Hawkeye.  If I inadvertently say something entirely wrong, or worse, wrong and offensive, please drop me a constructive comment so I can fix it. </p><p>The end of this chapter is basically just porn, no plot.  If that's not for you, stop reading after Tony's line about rolling around in bed.  Steve interrupted the sofa sex I had planned out last chapter, hopefully this makes up for it...  </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clint, as it turned out, did know already sign language.  Tony tried not to be jealous that that meant that Steve was the only person he could easily communicate with, and resolved to learn sign language as quickly as possible, until he was more fluent than Steve.</p><p>In the mean time, Tony figured that he and Clint could spend a lot of time in the workshop, where JARVIS could project a text stream onto the nearest flat surface so that Clint could read what Tony was saying.</p><p>Of course, that plan was contingent on Clint actually leaving his rooms.  As soon as the medical team had released him from hospital, the archer had disappeared to 'take a proper shower, I feel disgusting', and hadn't reappeared since.  He refused to open the door to Tony, Natasha or Steve, although JARVIS assured him that he had communicated to the archer that they were trying to gain entry.</p><p>"I flashed the lights, and added a message onto the television," the AI clarified when questioned.  "Agent Barton was most upset that I interrupted the Dog Cops marathon he started yesterday."</p><p>"Is he eating, JARVIS?" Natasha asked, frowning.</p><p>"He has eaten several sandwiches, and he arranged for me to drop off a Pizza delivery at 3am this morning," JARVIS confirmed. </p><p>"I say we leave him be, then," the redhead said, although she didn't look happy about it.   "He's processing, we should give him time."</p><p>"How did the pizza get in, J?" Tony asked.</p><p>"I had DUM-E bring it up.  Agent Barton allowed him entry."</p><p>"Print out the specifications for the Mark V hearing aids - proper blueprints, he'll appreciate that - and have DUM-E take them up to him," Tony instructed.  "Tell the bot that he can hang out up there if he wants.  Watch some TV with Clint, keep him company."</p><p>Steve frowned at him.  "Tony, you can't be-"</p><p>"Clint has always reacted well to the Bots," Tony interrupted him.  "And DUM-E can't talk.  Communicates mostly through gestures, some beeps and buzzes.  Clint will be able to talk with him the way he always has, and DUM-E won't pull the face I've seen you pulling during visiting hours when he accidentally talks too loud.  I think some normality might be welcome right now."</p><p>Steve still looked unconvinced, but Natasha gave him an approving nod, so he patted himself on the back anyhow.  Their first appointment with a sign language instructor was tomorrow morning, and he wanted to be in her good books.</p><p>DUM-E was apparently acceptable company, because when Tony made his way back down to the lab, the bot was conspicuously absent.  It was a little lonely without him - that's why Tony had had him moved over from the Miami house in the first place - but the engineer couldn't help but be a little proud that his oldest learning creation was able to help.  He gave a final once over of the designs for the Mark V BTE Hearing Aid, set the outer casing to be the colour he now called 'Hawkeye purple', and set the 3D printer and the metal fabricator going.</p><p>"JARVIS, do you mind if I run down for a hot chocolate while you supervise?" he asked the AI.  "Just stop the process if it looks  like a manual intervention is required, as Dum-Dum isn't here."</p><p>"Of course, Sir.  I believe that Ms Charlie has just started her shift." </p><p>Tony was alone so he allowed himself a dramatic groan at the thought of breaking the news to her as he headed to the elevator.</p><p>Charlie was indeed working, and waved when she spotted him coming.  Her welcoming smile shifted to confusion when she saw he was alone.</p><p>"Had a bit of an issue with Doctor Doom," he told her once he was in normal speaking range, not wanting to advertise the situation by shouting across the finance level.  "He's in recovery, he'll be... Mostly fine."</p><p>"Only mostly?" Charlie prodded, taking down a mug.</p><p>"Some hearing loss," Tony admitted and she blanched.</p><p>"Is his balance ok?  That's really important for you guys, right?  Because of all the acrobatics?"</p><p>"He's... It's too soon to tell," Tony admitted. "I'm working on a set of hearing aids for him."</p><p>Charlie shot him a knowing look over the top of the marshmallow jar.  "Of course you are."  She turned back to the coffee machine, the milk steamer screeching as usual as she heated the milk for him.  "He's lucky to have you," she added once the noise was over.  "Think I'll see him this week?"</p><p>"Honestly, probably not," Tony sighed.  "But hey, I'm thinking of doing a short optional sign language course for employees.  Seems to me like Stark Industries could stand to be a bit more accessible."</p><p>"Like they do at that Starbucks?" Charlie asked, grinning when he tilted his head in confusion.  "There's a store where all the Starbucks baristas are fluent in sign language," she explained.  "I read about it online."</p><p>"Well,  I don't know about fluent, but I think knowing the basics would be good," Tony said, accepting the steaming mug of hot chocolate she handed him.</p><p>"You should let the PR department know," Charlie advised, as she picked up a rag to wipe down the countertop.  "This along with the green energy drive from the arc reactor is another push to drag corporate America kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century."</p><p>"It's not easy being the icebreaker, but someone has  to do it!" Tony toasted her with the mug as he backed towards the elevator.  "Thanks Charlie!"</p><p>"Tell Clint that we get a new shipment of popcorn on Monday, and that I expect to see him down here to grab the bag I’ll put by for him!" Charlie called back.</p><p>*</p><p>Clint hid in his room for so long that Natasha and Steve were in danger of being recalled to Washington without seeing him, but he did eventually emerge from his self-imposed isolation  in time for brunch on Sunday.</p><p>"I don't see why you can't just stay here?" Tony complained to Steve as he helped himself to a second serving of bacon.  "The tower has to be more comfortable than whatever crummy apartment SHIELD has put you up in."</p><p>"It's certainly more this century," Natasha commented. "They haven't done much to help you integrate into the modern age."</p><p>Steve put down his cutlery to sign "It's not that bad!" as he spoke the words.</p><p>"You have a record player, Rogers," the assassin countered.  "And a radio with tubes, or something."</p><p>"Living here gives him a skewed idea of what's normal anyhow," Clint added, his voice strangely flat - but at least he was speaking.  "Most buildings don't come with free coffee bars and a built in AI that can control the temperature in your shower."</p><p>"Wait, JARVIS can do that?" Steve demanded, fingerspelling JARVIS.  Tony figured that as the name was an acronym in the first place, fingerspelling it was appropriate.  It had been one of the first things he had learnt how to spell quickly.</p><p>"Charlie will get more popcorn on Monday," Tony changed the subject.  "Hey, anyone know the sign for popcorn?"</p><p>Clint grinned and flicked his left index finger while making a popping sound.  "Like this, it's a fun one," he said, a little more enthusiasm in his voice.  </p><p>"So, popcorn and a movie tomorrow?" Tony suggested, pleased that he was able to make the correct signs, although he suspected he'd fudged 'tomorrow' a little.  Clint knew what he meant anyhow.</p><p>"It's a date," the archer confirmed, reaching up to scratch at the white bandages covering his ears.  Natasha smacked his hand down with a reproving glare.</p><p><br/>Tony was relieved when Clint followed him down to the workshop after they had cleared away the bacon and eggs, a small sign that their routine might be returning to normal.</p><p>"What did you think of the blueprints?" he asked as they descended, fingerspelling blueprints he did.</p><p>Clint smiled at him.  "You've already made them in purple, haven't you?" he asked.</p><p>"Of course," Tony grinned at him.  "And with super long life Stark batteries, a waterproof casing and a built in commlink to JARVIS that can be expanded to the whole team while on missions.  Although I'm working on a more discreet in ear model that I think would be better for that."</p><p>He lead the way into the lab and gestured to Clint to pull up a chair at the workbench he was currently using for assembly, before setting down a series of arrowheads and clay blocks, along with a roll of tools and a set of electronic scales.</p><p>"I thought you wanted to show me hearing aids?" Clint asked as he sat down, picking up and arrowhead and testing the balance.</p><p>Tony waited until he looked up, and smiled at him.  "There's more to you than your ears," he said, hoping that his expression conveyed how serious he was.  "Just like there's more to me than this," he tapped at the arc reactor.  "These are the prototypes we designed last week, I had JARVIS and DUM-E fabricate two of each for testing.  Go nuts."</p><p>Tony turned his attention to the upgrades to Natasha's Widow's Bites that he had in the works, and when he turned back Clint was completely absorbed in alpha testing the arrowheads, murmuring to JARVIS who was both recording what he said in an open document projected onto the worktable, while also providing his own commentary in a different colour.</p><p>Once he had finished with the design and had added it to the fabrication queue, he turned his attention to the small tray that contained the pieces for Clint's hearing aids.  According to the doctors, it would be at least two more weeks before Clint's ears had healed enough to even consider using them, but Tony wanted to have them ready for when that day came.  He'd made the sensitivity and volume variable, in the hope that as Clint healed further, he might regain some of his natural hearing. </p><p>Scalpel in hand, he set about slicing the plastic casing free of the 3D printer framework.</p><p>He had just completed the assembly of the left hand unit when Clint interrupted him with a freshly made smoothie and a packet of crisps.</p><p>"Nice shade of purple," he said, dropping the crisps and picking up the shell for the right hand aid.  "Much better than those horrid flesh toned ones."</p><p>"I've been meaning to ask," Tony said once Clint was looking at him.  "How come you know sign so well when Natasha doesn't?  Did you learn it for a mission?" </p><p>Clint stared at him for a long moment, his face oddly blank, and Tony was opening his mouth to take back the question when the archer finally started to respond.</p><p>"I learnt as a kid," he said quietly.  "I... This isn't... Before.  This happened to me before.  I'm surprised the docs didn't mention it to you, to be honest.  That's why it's so unlikely for me to heal fully, the new damage happened on top of existing, healed damage."</p><p>Tony shook his head, as puzzle pieces began to fall into place, painting an ugly picture.  "I didn't know," he said, giving into the temptation to reach out, to rest his fingers on Clint's wrist.  When the other man didn't flinch away, Tony took his hand and laced their fingers together, drawing Clint closer to press his lips to the inside of his wrist.  "Maybe we should make t-shirts, start a club?"  he suggested, looking up into Clint's grey eyes.  "Bruce can join."</p><p>"Abusive shithole fathers club?" Clint suggested.</p><p>"Survivors of Dickhead Dads," Tony grinned, making a stab at the sign for ‘dickhead’ that he’d found online.  "It's important to have 'survivors' in there."<br/> <br/>Clint smiled back, a small smile but Tony counted it as a victory regardless.  "Yeah, I guess it is."</p><p>*</p><p>The thing that disturbed Tony the most was how quickly Clint seemed to adapt.  He was pretty sure that, if he had lost his hearing almost completely, he would be a sobbing mess for at least a month, and then spend a considerable amount of time making questionable life choices.  Look at what he had done once he had escaped from the Ten Rings - become a superhero.  Although obviously that had worked out perfectly well for him, he wasn’t blind to the realisation that that had been a rather ridiculous life choice at the time.</p><p>And let’s not even mention the time when the palladium core in the arc reactor had been slowly poisoning him.</p><p>Safe to say, he had expected some sort of dramatic happening in the weeks following the altercation with Doctor Doom.  He had half expected Clint to break things off with him, but three weeks after the incident, mere days from trying the BTE aid’s for the first time, and Clint was as willing to snuggle with him on the sofa as ever, had resumed his habit of bringing Tony sandwiches if he stayed in the workshop too long, and had grinned in delight when Charlie greeted him in hesitant sign language the first time he saw her after.</p><p>Tony was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and at first it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen.</p><p>But then he caught the tell tale signs of sleeplessness casting shadows over Clint’s face.  And he knew that he would need to step up and be a good boyfriend and do something about that.</p><p>Steve and Natasha had headed back down to DC, although Natasha promised that she would be back as soon as she had Steve nicely integrated with the STRIKE team based at the Triskellion, so they currently had the tower to themselves.</p><p>“Clint!” He beamed at his boyfriend as the archer entered the workshop with a large plate of tacos.  “Those are not sandwiches.  But I’ll forgive you this once.”</p><p>Clint wrinkled his nose at him.  “Tacos are tasty,” he said seriously.  </p><p>So far it had been a good week.  They had snuggled on the sofa the day before and finally watched Brave, which Charlie would be delighted by the next time they saw her.  Clint’s appointment with the doctors had gone well, and it looked like he was set to regain at least 20% of his hearing in his left ear, possibly more.  The right was still coming up at 95-100% hearing loss, which wasn’t great.  Tony was trying to train himself to stand on Clint’s left more often so that he was directing his chatter at the better ear, but he kept on forgetting and kicking himself when he realised that there was a tired frown forming between his boyfriend’s eyebrows from all the lip reading.</p><p>“I have some amazing news!” He said once he had eaten a taco and a half.  “The builders are done with the master bath in the penthouse, and they are cleared out for the weekend.  Do you know what that means?”  He was quite proud that he managed to echo the entirety of the last sentence in sign, although he did end up flinging lettuce everywhere.</p><p>“Nope, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” Clint said evenly, before licking salsa from his thumb with an exaggerated wink.</p><p>“I have had the most ridiculous rich person jacuzzi bath installed in there,” Tony told him with a grin.  “And I am feeling all sweaty and gross after… probably more hours than I want to admit to fighting with the flight stabilisers in the Mk 41.  What do you say we take advantage of this?”</p><p>Clint stuffed the last of his third taco into his mouth, cheeks ballooning out like a chipmunk.  “What are we waiting for?  Eat your lunch!” He demanded once he’d swallowed.</p><p>It had certainly been on of his better ideas, he reflected as he paused in his mission to find clean towels to admire his boyfriend as he stripped.  The fast filling bath behind was the perfect backdrop to the golden skin and toned muscles on display, the bath salts that Tony had found in a cupboard filling the air with pine and rosemary.  Clint didn't look anything like an oiled up bodybuilder, his muscles had been built to be used, not displayed, and in Tony's eyes it made him all the more mouth-watering.</p><p>"Are you joining me or do you just plan on watching?" Clint asked, his voice barely audible above the falling water, his grey eyes crinkled at the edges although his mouth barely twitched into a ghost of a smile.</p><p>"I'm enjoying the view."</p><p>Clint stepped out of the last of his clothes and started down the textured steps built into the side of the bath, warm water foaming around his ankles and calves as it slowly rose.  JARVIS was in full control as always, and Tony knew that the water would be the perfect temperature.  He also remembered something about integrated heating circuits that worked in tandem with the jaccuzi jets, so once filled the tub should stay warm as long as they wanted.</p><p>"It'd be nice to have one of these waiting after those missions where I end up freezing my balls blue in a sniper nest for hours," Clint said, stretching out and pointing his toes.  "Come on in, Tony.  I'm lonely in here.  This bath is gigantic, all this space." </p><p>"Ah, the downsides of being decadent.  Wait till you see the new bed, we're going to loose each other," Tony joked as he stripped off.</p><p>"Planning on abandoning our floor so soon?" Clint asked, and Tony thought that perhaps he had meant it to be light-hearted, but it came out more wistful than anything.</p><p>He bit his lip, stepping down into the warm water and giving himself half a minute to get his thoughts in order.  Clint deserved an honest answer, after all, but this wasn't a conversation Tony particularly wanted to have standing naked in a bathroom, and not in a sexy way either.</p><p>"The plans for the penthouse were decided- well, I was going to just sleep on the couch in the workshop until it was all fixed, but J and DUM-E objected, and moved me in with you guys.  It was before-"</p><p>"Before us," you mean?" Clint asked.  He looked relaxed, sprawled like a sunbathing cat against the warm porcelain as the murky scented water lapped against his chest.  The water shut off as the tub reached the set fill level, and there was a moment of silence before the water jets kicked in with a gurgle.  Clint reached out and wrapped his calloused fingers around Tony's wrist, drawing him forward to settle almost on top of him in a tantalising glide of skin on skin.</p><p>"I was mostly thinking of you and me rolling around in the bed," Tony confessed, figuring that honesty had served him well so far.  "Not of the further implications." </p><p>"It is a good mental image," Clint agreed, giving Tony a very obvious once over as his hands drifted to settle low on Tony's waist, the fingertips of one just flirting with the edge of his crease while the thumb of the other scratched through the coarse hair at the base of his cock.</p><p>"Are you about to turn me round or just indecisive?" Tony quipped before leaning in for a kiss, wrapping one hand around the back of Clint's neck and bracing himself against the side of the bath with the other as he lifted his feet, free floating and ready to be manoeuvred and manipulated however Clint liked.</p><p>Clint slouched down and pulled him even further forward, nudging until he settled with his knees on either side of the taller man's hips, the water just reaching the edge of the arc reactor while Clint was submerged to his shoulders, those teasing fingertips now pressing firmly into the globes of his ass.  "This ok?" he checked in, his eyes steady on Tony's face.  The engineer could feel a maddeningly unpredictable soft brush against his cock every now and again, something that could be a stronger than usual water current, but could also be Clint, and not knowing was driving him nuts but the bath salts they had added to the water had made it just opaque enough that he had no idea what was actually going on.  Clint could have tucked his cock and balls between his thighs to leave Tony to get turned on by a water jet for all he knew.</p><p>"I'm good," he said instead of voicing all that, and figuring that dragging him into his naked lap was sort of permission to go nuts, he rolled his hips forward.</p><p>He was rewarded when Clint's eyes darkened, pupils widening as his mouth parted in a gasp, Tony's movement pressing their half hard cocks together under the cover of the hot water.</p><p>Tony lifted his free hand, not wanting the secure grasp Clint had on his hips to shift, and waggled his fingers between them.  "May I?"</p><p>Clint swallowed and nodded, keeping his eyes on Tony's face as a pink tongue flickered out to wet his lips.  "Please," he added hoarsely.</p><p>The engineer opted for a slow slide downwards, tracing his fingers across heat flushed skin.  He could feel the flutter of Clint's breathing, his tense abdominal muscles.  His ring finger caught on the dip of his navel and he traced Clint's treasure trail downwards.  His palm found dick - or more precisely, Clint's dick bobbed into his palm earlier than expected, buoyed up by the hot water, denying him the option of teasing the archer's balls first, so he settled for closing his fingers in a light cage around the plump head and massaging lightly.</p><p>He'd seen it before, felt it, even tasted it once, although their relationship had been moving slower than his usual dives into bed with the girl of the moment.  Clint deserved more than that after all, Clint was worth taking the time to get to know.  Tony's mind filled in the picture of what was happening under the opaque water, the way the organ in his hand was filling out, the rosy colour of the glans emerging as Tony's calloused fingers dragged at Clint's foreskin, making his eyelids flutter as he flexed his fingers towards Tony's hole.</p><p>The way everything was floating made it difficult to gather both of them into one had, but Tony was nothing if not dextrous and the way that the change in contact made Clint's eyelids flutter made it all worth it.</p><p>"May I?" Clint echoed, flexing his fingers to indicate what he was asking, the movement stretching Tony's ass and sending warm water to places it hadn't yet had a chance to reach.  Tony nodded, his throat suddenly dry.  Water wasn't the best lubricant, but Clint matched the slow pace that Tony had started with his teasing as he gently circled a finger around Tony's entrance.  "I just felt your cock jump against mine when I did that," Clint murmured, tilting his chin up in an invitation for a kiss.</p><p>Tony lent down and obliged him, the new angle meaning that he slipped out of his own hand to float pointing straight up.  Still, it gave Clint better access to play with the tight muscles of his entrance, stroking and pressing and kissing Tony like a starving man as the engineer worked his fist in slow strokes up and down.</p><p>"No spunk in the tub," Tony pulled back to instruct and Clint grinned wickedly. </p><p>"Oh, we're a long way away from that," he promised. "Although if you need some help following your own instructions, I'm sure I can find something in my pockets to help you out."</p><p>At that, Tony gave up on the handjob and surged forward to press himself against Clint's abs, squeezing their erections between them.  There was enough of a gap between the water level and the top of the tub that the resultant wave didn't soak the floor, so he started a slow body roll, alternatively pressing back into Clint's seeking fingers and sliding up to rub their cocks together, both hands holding tight to the side of the bath for leverage.  "I can do this all day," he quipped, enjoying the flushed arousal on Clint's face.  "And have fun doing it." </p><p>He let out an extremely undignified squeak when Clint suddenly shifted his grip to lift him out of the water by cupping his thighs, his hard cock breaching the surface and falling sideways with a splash.</p><p>"Lay back," the irritatingly amused archer instructed.  "This tub is big enough.  Float."</p><p>Feeling unreasonably exposed, Tony participated in the world's strangest trust fall and lowered himself backwards into the water until it broke in blue tinted waves over the arc reactor every time he breathed.  Clint moved them more to the centre of the tub so that Tony could stretch out his legs, and then closed his lips around the head of Tony's cock.  The resulting rush of blood to his dick combined with the heat of the bath to make him feel extremely light headed and floaty, as if Clint really could suck all of Tony's being out through his penis and he would love every minute of it.</p><p>No stranger to altered mental states, Tony lay back in the steaming water and enjoyed the sensation until he relaxed a little too far and nearly submerged his face. The resulting stab of panic was enough to bring him firmly into the present, although his traitor dick didn't soften in the slightest.</p><p>Clint noticed though, and was quick to straighten up and move them into a more typical position, sitting against the side.  "Are you ok?" he demanded. "What happened?"</p><p>"Fine," Tony said, one had already reaching down through the water to continue.  He was a little disappointed but not at all surprised when Clint batted him away and used the manoeuvre to draw him into a hug instead. </p><p>"That wasn't a 'fine' reaction to having your dick sucked," the archer pointed out.  "Talk to me, or no orgasms tonight."</p><p>Tony pouted, but in the face of the very real worry in Clint's eyes, gave in.  "My face nearly went under," he said, and knew from the sudden understanding on Clint's face that there was, thankfully, no need to elaborate.</p><p>"Did you want to move this to the bedroom?" the archer suggested instead.  "I believe the counter over there is also open for defiling." </p><p>Tony shook his head.  "I don't want this to be the defining memory of us in this bath," he insisted when Clint continued to look sceptical over his refusal.  "Two minutes ago we were having fun, and in a minute more we can be again.  'C'mon, we're all nice and clean and I want to lick you all over." </p><p>Clint might have been a highly trained sniper spy, but he was only human after all, and Tony was an extremely persuasive person.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Final Chapter!  Sorry for the wait, folks, I've been sick (not the dreaded C-19, thank goodness), and as I couldn't take any time off work because of reasons beyond my control, everything else in my life went out the window.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clint loosing his hearing had made Tony aware of just how controlled Clint had been in their previous encounters - not in terms of affection or casual friendly gestures, but in the amount of noise he had been allowing himself to make.  Tony thought that there may have been more than one clandestine encounter in Clint's past.  Now that he couldn't hear himself properly, the variety of noises that spilled from his mouth were delightful and sexy and Tony was a little sad that he hadn't been hearing them all along, because oh boy did it make it easy to tell when he'd hit on a good spot.</p><p>Unfortunately, their schedule didn't allow Tony as much time to hear those noises as he would have liked.  He still had a day job on top of the superhero job, and for all that he had delegated a large percentage of the running of Stark Industries to others, there were still things that Tony needed to either keep an eye on or attend himself.  Which was why he was currently trying to make his way unnoticed back to the tower on foot, having left Happy in the Rolls a block and a half away.  They had been stuck in some sort of construction worker hell for over an hour, and eventually Tony couldn't take it any more.</p><p>"I'll be fine," he'd assured his annoyed driver.  "I can call the suit if I need to, I have a baseball cap and sunglasses and I already changed out of the monkey suit.  I could have walked there and back three times by now, and I have shit to do.  Turn the car around and go treat your girlfriend to lunch on me or something, ok?" </p><p>The lunch time crowds thronging the sidewalks were a blessing in disguise.  Tony stuck his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, slouched in a way that would have made Maria Stark tut at him and flick his ear with a manicured finger, and blended seamlessly into the rush.</p><p>He was waiting at the final set of lights across from the tower side entrance, feeling rather dwarfed by a gigantic yellow piece of construction machinery sitting silently by the curb and causing at least 12% of the traffic disruption all by itself, when there was a screech of metal on metal followed by a scream.</p><p>Along with everyone else, Tony turned to look, although he was pretty sure that he was the only one whose stomach twisted with horrified familiarity when he recognised the blonde ponytail with a streak of Hawkeye purple in it attached to the woman currently in danger of being crushed by a falling crane arm.</p><p>Tony sprinted across the street, narrowly avoiding being hit by a yellow cab, and hit Charlie at waist height in a flying tackle.  He rolled them as best as he could in mid air, but they still ended up sliding across the tarmac, and he could feel the warm heat in his hip that preceded a pretty nasty graze.  The crane arm finished it's slow motion fall, crashing to Earth just inches behind Tony's trainers.</p><p>"Shit," he panted, Charlie an uncomfortable weight across his chest.  "Are you all right?"</p><p>"Not my fucking morn-" the barista started to reply, but then she was lifted away from him.</p><p>"Careful!" Tony snapped, worries about spinal injuries passing through his mind, but then he got a good look at the people surrounding them, pushing back the concerned crowd.  Despite an obvious attempt to blend in, they were all wearing identical tac pants and combat boots under a miss matched collection of hoodies and jackets.</p><p>He started a valiant attempt to get to his feet and fight back when a sharp blow to the back of his head caused stars to burst inside his skull and everything went black.</p><p>*</p><p>Tony woke up shivering on a concrete floor, his nose full of rust and gearbox oil.  He opened his eyes to see a bare room, narrow windows across one metal wall just under the ceiling, and a large stain in the centre of the floor.  There were two doorways, one standard and one with a rolling door large enough to get a car through.  The wires to the electronic control had been cut but left dangling.  There was a security camera in the corner, but its cables had also been cut.  A ploy to make him think he was unobserved, or a red herring?</p><p>Tony himself had been stripped to his underwear and bound hand and foot with cable ties, and not even particularly thick cable ties at that.  Either his capturers were amateurs, or they had severely underestimated his strength without the suit.</p><p>Bringing his arms down and back sharply, Tony snapped the tie around his wrists.  They hadn't even bothered to trim the end off, so he used the narrow section to lift the catch in the tie around his ankles and pull it loose.  Now he had one snapped and one complete cable tie, and there had been no noise from his kidnappers, no shouts or footsteps or booming voice across a poorly calibrated speaker system.</p><p>Probably a guard outside the door then.</p><p>His bare toes might be going numb, but one advantage was that his footsteps were quiet as he walked over to the person-sized door - a standard metal thing with thick hinges and a tattered draft excluding brush riveted to the bottom - and crouched down to peer through a gap in the bristles.  He was rewarded with a glimpse of two pairs of boots and a gust of warm air on his face.   That way to the rest of the building then.</p><p>The car-sized door was on the next wall over, the wall with the windows, which Tony hoped meant that that led outside, perhaps into some sort of yard.  If he was really lucky there might be some dumpsters for cover.</p><p>The control box on the wall was intact, the power supply still connected.  When Tony brushed the dust away there was even a tiny orange LED still glowing.  It was the control cables to the mechanism on top of the door that had been cut, and not cleanly either.  Tony wasn't sure that there was enough slack to salvage the situation.  Besides, the noise of the door opening would certainly alert the guards.  But perhaps he could use that, if they really were as careless as they seemed. </p><p>With the beginnings of a plan, Tony set to work getting power to the door mechanism, using his salvaged cable tie to realign the frayed wires.  It only needed to make a big enough noise for the two guards to open the door to check on him.  With that in mind, once he had everything in place, he stabbed the 'down' button rather than the up.</p><p>As predicted, the gears ground into life as Tony sprinted back towards the smaller door.  The plan went even better than he expected, both guards running into the room in a panic, allowing Tony to slip behind them and into the warmer corridor.  He pulled the door closed behind him before they had even processed that he wasn't escaping through the larger door and slammed the large deadbolt home quickly.  He then engaged the bolts at top and bottom for good measure.</p><p>There was a single radio sitting on the floor of the corridor.  Not good, that meant that they probably had one in there with them, and could call for help.  He needed to move. </p><p>The other doors along the corridor were all locked, including the fire escape at the end, the push bar jammed with a length of heavy chain that Tony didn't have the time or the strength to remove.  He jogged around a corner to find another length of empty corridor with a cloak room to the left, empty pegs and a bank of rusting lockers.  Braving the squeal of frozen hinges scored him a pair of oversize work boots and an old jacket that at least covered the light of the arc reactor.</p><p>That was when the yelling started, from somewhere ahead of him, and there was a bang as a door was flung open into the wall.  Tony crammed himself behind the meagre shadow of the lockers and was very confused several seconds later when the jack booted thugs that appeared were running away from the room where he had been held rather than towards it.</p><p>Perhaps those guards had only had one radio between them after all? </p><p>Maybe the cavalry had arrived.</p><p>Of course, his luck couldn't last forever, and almost as soon as he had left his hiding place to run towards the commotion and hopefully an ally or two, he was spotted.  Under other circumstances, Tony might have found the cry of 'what the fu-prisoner! Escaping!  Bill, use your fucking eyes!' amusing.</p><p>He ran as best as he could in the oversized boots with his head pounding in time with his heartbeat, and practically skidded into what must have been the main work area of the oversized car repair garage his kidnappers had taken over.  There were lifting ramps, there was lopsided racking with a few stray pallets still in place, and there was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life.  Clint, in full tactical gear, taking on five goons at once with a knife and a pistol, his bow and a quiver of arrows mag sealed to his back.</p><p>Tony swiped a gun of his own from a fallen enemy, lying face down with an arrow in his back, and waded in to join the party.</p><p>*</p><p>"I have never been so happy to see my own living room," Tony groaned several hours later, after an excruciating debrief with an unimpressed Agent Hill and a fresh change of clothes.</p><p>"Not even when you got back from Afghanistan?" Clint asked as he appeared from the kitchen with several ice packs. He handed two to Tony, but kept one for himself, holding it against his left shoulder.</p><p>"I didn't get to see my living room for days that time, they shoved me in a high security hotel with the diplomats.  The coffee was terrible, I'm sure the Italian diplomats hated it," Tony babbled as he arranged ice packs around his throbbing ankle on the coffee table</p><p>"Is that your way of telling me that you want coffee?"</p><p>Tony waved dismissively.  "Caffeine probably isn't a good plan," he said reluctantly.  "Come sit with me.  JARVIS, can you ask DUM-E if he's willing to go to Finance and get two hot chocolates from Charlie for us?  Oh shit, Charlie was there when I was taken.  Is she all right?  Is she even here?"</p><p>"Charlie is currently at her station Sir, and does not seem distressed." </p><p>"I can go," Clint said, still standing awkwardly a few feet from the sofa.</p><p>"Sit," Tony repeated.  "I want you here with me.</p><p>"Sir, DUM-E has confirmed that he will go to Finance for you," JARVIS said quietly.  "He is just typing a message to Charlie on his workstation to inform her that you are well."</p><p>"Oh, that's a good idea," Tony yawned.  "Tell him he's doing good.  Very proactive.  I'm proud."</p><p>"You're always proud of him," Clint pointed out, finally sitting on the sofa.  Tony slumped over to lean against Clint's good shoulder - the one he wasn't icing in any case - and reached out to slot their fingers together.  </p><p>"Thanks for coming for me."</p><p>"You were in the middle of a self rescue, I didn't do much."</p><p>"It was a lot easier with you there, and you know it."</p><p>JARVIS turned on the TV and queued up Disney's Robin Hood without consulting either of them, and fifteen minutes into the movie DUM-E appeared with a cardboard drink holder containing two travel cups of hot chocolate clenched carefully in his claw arm.</p><p>Tony was nearly asleep, Clint's arm wrapped comfortingly across his shoulders as they watched bag after bag of money disappear through the window, when JARVIS paused the film.</p><p>"Sir, there has been a development," the AI said, sounding somehow off.  "Apologies for interrupting your recuperation, but I do not believe it can wait.</p><p>"Hit me, J," Tony said, deciding not to move.  He was comfortable, and he suspected that Clint was already asleep.</p><p>"We have received an incoming message from Agent Romanoff.  It reads:  SHIELD is compromised.  SHIELD is HYDRA."</p><p>Clint was not asleep, as Tony found out when the archer jolted as if electrocuted.</p><p>"Shit," the engineer cursed as Clint stretched for the tablet on the coffee table, icepack dropping to the rug.  "JARVIS, start gathering as much data as you can.  Do you still have that backdoor into the Helicarrier or have they updated their firewalls?"</p><p>"I still have limited access," the AI confirmed.   "There were unconfirmed reports of a car chase in Washington DC yesterday afternoon but no official news story.  The car targeted matches one often used by Director Fury."</p><p>"Sounds like he's a good guy then," Clint said tightly, eyes on a his tablet as he scrolled through-</p><p>"Is that tumblr?" Tony demanded. </p><p>"I'm seeing if Nat left any more messages," Clint explained.  "Tumblr is so chaotic anyhow that it's a good place to hide in plain sight."</p><p>Tony wanted to grin at him, or perhaps lean over and brush his lips to Clint's unshaven cheek as a reward for that particular piece of cleverness, but now was absolutely not the time.   They needed to focus.  "J, ask DUM-E if he's up for another trip to Finance.  We're going to need coffee.  A lot of coffee."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaand that brings us up to TWS.  I'm undecided if I'm going to continue this, if I do the sequel will be a separate fic and I'll turn it into a series.  I hope you enjoyed!  If so, please feel free to leave me a note in the comments.   Happy New Year!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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